Astronauts aboard the ISS took pictures of Mount Shasta, when they flew
over Northern California at different times of the year. By its nature
it is a stratovolcano consisting of alternating layers of lava and ash
from previous eruptions. It is located in the wild desert area of the
national forest of Shasta Trinity and is part of the Cascade Mountains
system.
In the first picture, Mount Shasta towers above the clouds of fog
that envelops the valleys of the Klamath mountain range. Behind it
extends the northeastern part of California, where the desert of the
Great Basin meets the Cascade Ridge. Located at an altitude of 4,322
meters above sea level, the mountain of Shasta, as a rule, is covered
with snow all year round. The photo was taken in August 2017, when most
of the snow cover melted.
A snapshot of the mountain peak, obtained in April 2018, shows a much
more abundant snow cover, through which stones are occasionally seen.
Shasta is an active volcano that erupts at least once every 800 years
during the last 10,000 years, with an eruption frequency of about 250
times in 250 years in the last 750 years. The area around the volcano is
affected by lava, pyroclastic flows, lahars, landslides and
earthquakes. Mud flows, called lahars, pose a significant danger in
river valleys near Shasta, which can act as channels for landslides.
However, despite the risks, the mountain peak is quite popular among
skiers and climbers.
